Thicker Than Blood
by GryphonGundam
Summary: The past is just that-the past. But when Heero Yuy is plagued by images and nightmares of a forgotten past, he goes in search of answers. But what happens when the answer to his questions finds him? Will the missing pieces complete Heero or destroy him?
1. Prologue

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Thicker Than Blood

Disclaimer: I own very little in this world, and sadly, Gundam W is not among my meager posessions

A/N: Irish to English dictionary & pronunciation

_Cara_ (karu) = friend

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Dearthiar (jrihyaar) = brother

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Slan agat = good-bye

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Prologue

From the outside, the building seemed no different than any of the other steel and concrete creations that made up colony K3-0200. Perhaps the only marked difference between this building and the others was a sign that read 'New Hope Center for Mental Health and Rehabilitation.' Inside, the building was as immaculate as anyone would expect a hospital to be. And sterile. It was the scent of this sterility that set the man in room 203 on edge. He had long ago gotten used to the smell of disinfectant that was the trademark of any hospital, but tonight, it seemed to have wanted its presence known. Perhaps it was the universe's way of reminding him of where he was and drudging up memories of why. A small smile played at his lips as he gazed out of the small window in his room.

"Once a prisoner, always a prisoner," he said to himself. A few peaceful moments of silence passed and he felt an odd wave of calm spread throughout his body. His constantly fidgeting hands were for once still as his raging mind slowed itself into one calming thought. "But at journey's end do we find peace and sweet release."

"A poet's soul never dies, does it?"

The patient didn't bother to turn to his new visitor. Instead he continued to stare out his window at the sleeping colony. "Sorrow knows no end, and so the poet continues on." He glanced back at his visitor for a brief moment before resuming his watch. "Either I miscalculated, or you're a little late, _mein Freund_. Although I must say, I am pleased that you could make it."

"My time is short."

The patient nodded and faced his visitor for the first time, a sad smile on his otherwise handsome features. "How long has it been? Five years?"

"Almost eight."

"Eight? Hmm, another miscalculation. My mind is far from what it once was. But still…I remember enough. Too much."

Sadness deeper than any man could measure entered dark hazel eyes. The visitor had seen this before in three others as well as himself. Eyes that were barely into their mid-twenties held the experience of two lifetimes. They were young, yet old. Strong yet tired. Alive, yet…dead. A shared pain leapt across the space between the shadowed figures and a bond once lost was rekindled if only for a bittersweet moment.

"_Cara…dearthair…_time is not on our side."

The patient nodded in understanding, but held up a halting hand when his visitor moved. "What of our youngest? You and he are the last of us…don't let him also be the end of us."

"I won't. He will be what we couldn't."

The patient nodded, a content smile touching the corners of his lips. "I know he will."

"Have you…seen anything else?"

The patient shook his dark head and gripped the pendant around his neck. "No. I have seen until this moment. There have been other images, but nothing is clear. It rests in your hands now, _mein Bruder_. But I know you will do what you can."

Once again the patient turned to his window and gazed outside. He imagined the cool night breeze on his face and the faint rustling of leaves. His mind drifted to a memory that took place far earlier in a more pleasant time. The thin line between fantasy and reality blurred and he became convinced his vision was real and for the briefest of moments, he was happy.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" he smiled.

"Yes," his visitor replied as he stepped closer, "It's Heaven."

The patient barely felt the nearly invisible needle stab into his skull just behind his ear. In the briefest of moments blood vessels ruptured and he toppled forward, the apparent victim of a brain aneurysm. The visitor gently caught the falling figure and placed him on his small bed, covering him with the thin blanket.

"_Slan agat, dearthair._ May gentle peace cradle you now and forever."

A/N: Review Away!


	2. Beginning Reflection

Ch.1 Beginning Reflection

Disclaimer: Me no own. You no sue. All is good.

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Blood dripped from his hands. He was covered in it, but it wasn't his own. He was unharmed, but ahead of him he saw the shadowed figure that lay dying in a crimson pool. He rushed to help, but when he knelt next to the faceless body he found he couldn't touch it. He needed to help him. He felt fear…fear of being helpless…fear of having yet another's blood on his hands…fear of being responsible for the loss of another's life. He wanted it to stop, he wanted to help, but he could do nothing. He heard the heartbeat in his ears and listened as it faded and finally stopped. An anguished howl escaped his lips as a voice from within repeated the words "Your fault. Your fault. YOUR FAULT!"

Heero jerked awake and sat up, putting a hand to his pounding head. His body was covered in sweat and his mouth was dry. Without thinking he pushed the rumpled covers from his body and got up, heading to the kitchen of his small apartment. He didn't bother to turn on any lights as he navigated his way through his living space. Years of training had demanded that he memorize the exact layout of his quarters, thus eliminating the need for light. He knew exactly where the cupboard he needed was, as well as the glass and the exact distance he needed to move to get to the sink and turn on the faucet.

After a long drink he put the cup in the sink and turned towards his bed, but the night sky just outside his apartment caught his attention and he opted to get a breath of fresh air on his small balcony. The cold iron bars felt good against his still flushed skin as he leaned against the railing and looked up at the star filled sky. It was the first clear sky Heero had seen in two weeks. Work and winter storms had prevented him from gazing at the sky where he had been born, the space that had been his home in his childhood.

_Hn. Home. Childhood. Two things I've never had, _he grunted in his mind. Not for the first time in his life, Heero Yuy dwelt on these thoughts, particularly on the one involving home. The lack of a childhood he could deal with, but a home? During the war he hadn't concerned himself with such a thought, mostly because he never expected to live through it. But now he found himself struggling with the idea. He lived in his apartment on Earth, but was it home? He never could be sure. He'd often heard that home was defined by a place where you were happy, where you had friends and family. It was a place the heart was attached to and was at ease.

Heero looked back into his Spartan apartment and shook his head. He had friends, albeit their relationship was an odd one. Happiness was a concept he was still trying to grasp, so that wasn't there. His heart? That was another enigma he had yet to figure out. Family? Heero always came up short in this department. He knew for a fact that he had no blood relatives left. Not that he would know what to do with them if they had survived and he had found them.

_Family. Home._ Heero shook his head in an effort to rid himself of such thoughts. All they ever did was leave an aching center in his chest that seemed to only grow with time. And the more it grew, the deeper his brooding went and the more he kept the people around him at a distance. _I don't need this,_ he thought angrily.

_Yes, you do,_ a voice somewhere in the back of his mind whispered.

As he always did, he ignored the voice and the aching and headed back to his room. However, as he stood and stared at his empty bed the aching in his chest refused to go away. With a frustrated grunt he sat on the edge of the bed and buried his face in his hands. Usually he could deal with these feelings, but tonight it seemed they were persistent.

_Probably because she's not here, _came a stray thought.

It was a fact that he couldn't truly deny. A fact that had frightened and confused him for the past few months. _Relena._ She was the one person who could get to him, who could seemingly see past the barriers he put up. He had resisted her friendship for years, but last winter he had slowly begun to let her into his life. He was never really sure why, but he felt secure around her. She offered him the comfort he had craved for most of his life, though he never really let her know it. He never really let her know anything, which was partially why he was alone tonight. He had gone on the defense again during an argument and had shut down emotionally, thus shutting her out. He hadn't wanted to push her away, but something always made him do it. He wanted to take his own advice and act on his emotions, but he never could make himself do it. And Heero Yuy, the world's Perfect Soldier, hated himself for it.

He hadn't seen or spoken to her in days, though he knew exactly where she was. She was at her family's estate where she lived with her brother and sister-in-law. She had mentioned something about wanting to help finish the nursery for the soon to arrive addition to the Peacecraft legacy as her excuse to not see him. Heero couldn't help but smile a little at the recollection of Relena's excitement over the prospect of being an aunt. The nearer the date came the brighter her smile was every time she talked about the unborn child.

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Her smile…

That image coupled with the empty space on his bed brought him crashing back to reality. The memory of his nightmare flashed across his mind and he decided that sleep was not an appealing prospect. Instead he went to his dresser and took out a pair of pants and the tan button down shirt that was part of his uniform and began to dress.

It was the fifth time in two weeks that he would be three hours early for his shift.

A/N: I like reviews. They let me know I still exist.


	3. Forgotten

Ch. 2 Forgotten

Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own Gundam Wing. But soon, so very soon…

A/N: Okay, this is where I start to take some creative liberties with Heero's past, but since we don't really know a whole lot about him, I figured it would be okay. Odin is still there and the events of Episode Zero still happened, but other than that I've pretty much made up everything else. Anyway, enjoy.

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Ch. 2

"Hey buddy!"

The cheerful voice of Duo Maxwell filled the silent third floor break room of the Preventer's building. Heero had long grown used to the loud early morning greetings of his friend and did little more than glance up from the file he was reading. However, the other silent occupant of the room groaned to himself and glowered at the new arrival. Chang Wufei was not what one would call a morning person, especially since this particular morning signaled the end of a double shift. He was worn out and looking forward to the peace and quiet of his small home, but by the way Duo was clutching the morning newspaper and the eager grin on his face he knew his last few minutes of work would be very long.

"What is it, Maxwell," Wufei grumbled, hoping to get to the point as soon as possible.

"Morning to you too, Sunshine," Duo responded and Wufei pinched the bridge of his nose in an effort to stave off a headache. "Anyway, I wanted you to take a look at the article on page two. I think this might be something we want to keep our eyes on, but I wanted to know what you two thought about it."

The paper was turned to the desired page and tossed in front of the other two agents. After a moment Heero went back to his file and Wufei gave Duo an annoyed glance.

"Maxwell, this is just an article about a small skirmish between local authorities and a group of wanna be rebels after a bust. So what?"

"If you ever bothered to read more than the front page articles, you might notice that this was the third such skirmish in as many months." Wufei rolled his eyes and Duo pointed to a particular passage in the small article. "Each time the cops were tipped off on where _exactly_ the suspects held base, how many there were, and how _exactly_ to get through their defenses and booby traps."

Heero's interest in the article rose a few notches as he took in the information. "Were the groups related?"

Duo shook his head. "Not as far as anyone can tell. I'd like to say some sort of super hero is out there protecting his territory, but each incident was in a different colony cluster. I know it's nothing major, but something about it just doesn't sit right."

"Have the Preventer's been contacted about any of this?" Heero asked and Duo shook his head. "Then there's nothing we can do except wait and see if this is some sort of fluke."

Duo nodded in understanding, but his two comrades could see that the article troubled him. Duo had more street smarts than any of them and his work with the Sweeper group when he was younger made him aware that things like this could mean trouble and could run far deeper than anyone imagined until it was too late.

"Well, there's nothing we can do about it right now. With that determined, I'm going to go home and sleep."

With that, the Chinese agent stood and started out the door. Heero just grunted and went back to his file while Duo waved and got himself a cup of coffee, loudly cursing the defective machine as it spilled the caffinated beverage on the counter. After cleaning up the mess, Duo sat and busied himself with riffling through the rest of the newspaper, effectively spreading it out on the table. Annoyed, Heero reached over to shove the papers back at Duo when his eye caught an obscure article buried deep within the paper. He grabbed the page and realized that the article was actually a death announcement, but it was the picture that caught his attention. A small color photo a young man with black hair and haunting hazel eyes tugged at a memory somewhere in the deeper recesses of his mind. He stared at the picture for a moment more before reading the small passage printed beneath it.

_Dieter Rheinhalt, died January 16, AC 201 at New Hope Center for Mental Health and Rehabilitation on colony K3-0200. He was 25. There is no known immediate family or other next of kin. The hospital will hold a small service for him on Friday the 19th at 10:00 a.m._

Heero's gaze once again returned to the picture of the young man and he noticed a jagged scar that ran from just below his right ear, down to his jaw, and then hooked over an ended at the middle of his throat. Just below it hung a silver Maltese cross with an emerald in the center. Heero stared at the scar and the cross and closed his eyes when a sudden stab of pain shot through his head.

_A sudden crash and a muffled cry of pain. Heero looked up from where he lay curled on the floor and saw an older boy standing in front of him._

"Get out of the way!" an angry voice yelled.

"Leave the Kind_ alone!"_

Another crash and a dull thud as a body hit the floor. A door flew open and Heero winced away from the light. More people entered. An argument started, then there was silence. A hand gently shook his shoulder. He looked up into gentle hazel eyes.

"Kind? Verletzt du?" _Heero just stared and the older boy shook his head. "Are you hurt?"_

Heero shook his head and then gasped when he saw the blood running down the other boy's face. Small hands reached out to touch the wound, but instead they went to the pendant that hung around his neck. He had seen it before and thought it was pretty, but now it was marred with blood. Quietly he wiped the green stone in the center clean. He heard another voice shouting from outside and soon another boy ran in, muttering urgently in a language he didn't understand. Arms circled him and lifted him up. He snuggled into the warmth and tried not to cry.

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"Heero? Hey, you all right?"

Heero slowly opened his eyes and found himself trying to concentrate on the face of a deeply worried Duo. Another moment passed before he realized that the braided pilot's hand had a rather firm grip on his shoulder. Heero took a deep breath and nodded, carefully removing the other man's hand.

"I'm fine. It's just a headache."

"A migraine from the look of it. Maybe you should go pay Sally a visit."

"Hn," Heero grunted and stood up, "Maybe you're right." Without another word he left the break room and turned towards the infirmary.

_That's odd, he did what I told him to without any argument whatsoever. _Duo's usually cheerful face took on a thoughtful frown._ I better keep an eye on him. Something is definitely wrong._

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Sally Po watched as Heero greedily gulped down the medication and the cup of water he had been handed. He was abnormally quiet, even for Heero, and that worried her more than the headache he had come to her about. During his short visit to her office he had yet to look her in the eye or even focus on a single object for more than a few seconds. It didn't take a trained eye to see that he was suffering from lack of sleep, but there was something else there. Duo had made a quick call to her just before the Japanese man's arrival and had told her that he'd suddenly gripped his head and completely locked up and phased out for a few minutes.

For the thousandth time Sally wished that the young man would take advantage of the counseling afforded by the Preventers, or if not that than the large amount of vacation and sick days he had accumulated. She watched him silently as he began to massage his temples and carefully contemplated her next move. Scribbling something down she approached her patient.

"I'm not going to tell you to go home because I already know that's a fight I'll never win, but when you do get off go and get this." She handed him a small slip of paper. "I know you're leery of medications and you've got a pretty high resistance to them anyway, so I'm leaning towards a more natural approach. What I recommend is that you pick up some melatonin and some soothing tea. Both of those will help you sleep."

Heero simply nodded and stood, placing the paper in his pants pocket. He mumbled his thanks and left without another word. Sally watched him walk down the near empty hallway and sighed. Heero Yuy was a walking wound that she just couldn't figure out how to heal.

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Heero sat on his secondhand couch staring at the herbal supplement that Sally had recommended to him. On the coffee table in front of him in a cup inscribed with the words 'World's Perfect Soldier' (this had been a Christmas gift from Duo) there was chamomile tea that was quickly becoming cold. Noticing the lack of steam from his cup and taking note of how much time had passed, he opened the bottle and shook out a thin white pill. Hesitating only another moment he tossed it to the back of his throat and took a sip of his lukewarm beverage.

A sudden knock at the door startled him and almost made him choke. He mentally berated himself for his clumsy reaction and headed to the door. Irritated by both himself and his unexpected visitor he tore the door open and came up short. Relena stood there with her hand half raised to knock again with a look of surprise etched in her delicate features.

"I'm sorry, Heero. Is this a bad time?"

It took Heero a moment to make his voice work. "No, it's fine. Come in."

He stepped out of the way and allowed the blonde access to his apartment. She walked past him and took off her coat, hanging it next to his on the wall like she had done so many times before. When she turned to face him again he was not surprised to see worry in her blue eyes.

"I'm sorry to just show up like this, but Hilde called and said that something happened with you at work today. I guess Duo sounded pretty worried. Is everything all right?"

Heero's first instinct was to tell her everything was fine and to not worry about him, but he knew that she would worry anyway. This made him a little angry, but he quickly pushed that emotion aside and settled on a half-truth.

"I'm just tired is all. I haven't been sleeping well."

Relena nodded and took a seat on the couch. He followed suit a moment later, but still maintained a distance between them. "More nightmares?"

If it had been anyone else who suggested that to him he would have denied it, but since she had been present for several of them, he just nodded.

"I know you'll hate this idea, but you need to talk, Heero. It doesn't have to be me or one of the other pilots, or even the agency's counselor, but you need to talk so someone. Anyone."

"No one will understand. There is no one who could ever understand."

There was an edge to his voice that warned Relena to get off the topic, but she had backed down too many times before and she was determined to keep at it until some sort of conclusion was reached.

"How do you know? Have you tried it? No, because you're too stubborn or too stupid to see that you have friends who fought the same war and lived similar moments. You don't think they would understand? What is it that you think they…_we_…can't handle?"

"You have no idea what you're talking about so just shut up!"

The moment the words left his mouth, Heero wanted to snatch them back. He saw the deep hurt flash in her eyes and his chest tightened with guilt. He was hurting her…again. Why couldn't he talk to her, tell her all the things that were bothering him? Tell her about his nightmares? God knows he wanted to, but he always managed to put up that barrier and shut her out. With a frustrated groan he buried his face in his hands.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

He felt small, soft hands touch his body and sighed as she began to massage his neck and shoulders. Slowly, he felt himself relax into the touch. His eyes suddenly became heavy and he let them shut.

"It's okay, Heero. When you're ready, I'm here. We all are."

He opened his eyes when she pulled her hands away, but relaxed once again when he realized that she was shifting them into a different position. He leaned back against her chest and once again closed his eyes as cool fingertips gently rubbed across his forehead. A few minutes later, the Perfect Soldier was sound asleep.

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He was alone. Smoke burned his small eyes as he looked around him.

"Kaasan?" he called. "Touchan?"

There was no answer. Tears welled up in his eyes as he gingerly touched the abrasion on his arm. He was scared and hurt. Under a large slab of concrete he spied a portion of a pale blue kimono with flowers etched on it. He approached it and kneeled beside the rubble. Small hands began to move the rubble.

"Kaasan? Kaasan?"

"Hey!" He jumped when someone behind him yelled. "What are you doing here?"

The face was young, barely three years older than himself. The eyes were gentle. Deep honey-brown. He didn't know what to do so he pointed to the rubble and the piece of kimono.

"Oh no." The eyes were suddenly sad. Sirens began to wail and the other boy looked up in alarm. "Come on, you can't stay here."

He shook his head and stood firm.

The older boy looked distressed. "Odin!" he shouted and a tall man with blond hair appeared.

A hand reached out to him and he hesitated.

"It's safe. Everything will be okay," the brown-eyed boy smiled. "I promise."

He took the large callused hand. And then they ran.

Heero's eyes snapped open, but otherwise he remained still. Blurred faces still danced across his mind as the dream faded.

_Dream? No, not quite. It was too familiar. Odin…_

An uneasy feeling crept over his tired body as he thought of his old mentor. Odin did occasionally creep into his thoughts, but he usually managed to push the few memories he had away. But this dream—_memory?—_set him on edge. What bothered him most was the image of a young face with warm brown eyes. It seemed familiar, yet he couldn't remember why to save his life.

_You've seen a lot of faces in your lifetime, Yuy. It could just be a random image, _he told himself. Then why did it bother him so much? An image of the man whose picture he had seen in the paper flashed across his vision. _That one seems familiar too. God, what's happening to me?_

"Hnmm…Heero?" a soft voice asked.

Sitting up he looked back at Relena's sleep-heavy eyes. A soft smile touched the corners of his lips as he brushed a stray lock of hair out of her face. She smiled and sat up next to him, glancing at the clock on the wall. 2:47 a.m. It had been ten when she'd dozed off.

"Ugh. Milliardo's probably having a fit. I told him I wouldn't be gone that long."

Another grin tried to work its way onto Heero's face at the image of a scowling Zechs pacing the floor and cursing his name. For a moment, Heero felt sorry for the yet-to-be-born child. Curfew was going to be iron law punishable by death. And if it was a girl…well, the ex-pilot of Wing Zero felt sorry for the boy who kept her out late. He was pulled from his reverie when Relena began to stand up from the couch. Without thinking he reached out and gripped her wrist, suddenly uneasy about being alone.

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"Stay," he murmured.

"Heero, are you okay? Did you have another nightmare?" The Japanese pilot shook his head, but refused to let her go. "Then what is it?"

"I…" _How do I tell her I don't know?_

"Heero," she whispered as she sat down and gently touched his cheek. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Irritation flashed in his Prussian eyes and behind that was frustration and confusion. _Damnit, I don't even know what I'm supposed to be talking about! I don't know if these are dreams or…or memories._ However, his mouth and his thoughts were not communicating very well that night and he spoke before thinking.

"No. You won't understand." Inwardly he winced at the harshness of the words. He fully expected another argument to begin and he prepared to go on the defensive. However, all he got was a defeated sigh.

"I wish you could trust me, Heero."

"I do-"

"To a point. Look, you're right, I probably won't understand why you're so upset at what's bothering you. I can't possibly understand your past because, frankly, none of us really know anything about it. But that doesn't mean I don't want to try and understand it. I'm here whenever you're ready."

Heero just nodded, unable to express his thanks out loud. "Then you'll stay?" he asked as he caressed her cheek and leaned in, brushing his lips lightly over hers.

"Well, when you put it like that…"

Heero pressed his lips more firmly to hers and picked her up, weaving his way around furniture on the way to his room.

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A/N: You like?


	4. Memory and Melody

Ch. 3 Memory and Melody

Disclaimer: Ha! This time I actually can claim something in here that I own! All original characters are mine, as is the lullaby towards the end of this chapter. And let me tell you, I'm pretty possessive of that lullaby. Eventually it'll be set to music and then it will belong to my nephews and little David/Natalie (whichever you are), who is due in December. Other than that, I own nothing. 

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The images flashing rapidly on the screen were hypnotizing, especially to an exhausted Heero Yuy. He managed to tear his gaze away from the screen long enough to stretch and feel several vertebrae pop back into place. He grabbed the styrofoam cup next to him and took a drink, nearly gagging as bitter, stone cold coffee flooded his mouth. Grimacing, he tossed the half-empty cup into the trashcan and looked back at his screen.

Around him sat old forgotten files and pictures and every piece of information he could possibly gather about Odin Lowe and Dieter Rheinhalt. A week of nearly obsessive and tireless effort had produced pitifully thin files severely lacking in useful information. He knew that Odin had been an expert at covering his tracks, but the lack of information on Rheinhalt was surprising. All he had been able to find was a birth certificate, a death certificate, and a few hospital records. Apparently he suffered from auditory and visual hallucinations. He also possessed one of the highest IQ's Heero had ever seen.

He had managed to talk to a few of the nurses and doctors at the hospital. One nurse had been slightly more helpful than the others had. She had said that Rheinhalt was an excellent artist and poet and she sent him a copy of some of the work he had left behind. The computer had yet to finish it's search, so he turned to the manila folder of the man's work and opened it, feeling more than a little curious about what he would find.

"Hey buddy," Duo called from the open door of Heero's office. "You wanna grab some lunch? There's a new diner-"

Duo was cut off as a pale blonde streak shot past the door. A moment later they heard a thud and loud cursing.

"God damned automatic doors! Open faster next time!"

Heero was on his feet in a moment and stared at the rapidly retreating back of Zechs Merquise/Milliardo Peacecraft. The Wing pilot looked over at his companion who offered him little more than a shrug.

"What in the world was all that about?" Duo asked, scratching his head.

"Pargan just called. Noin went into labor about twenty minutes ago," a voice answered from behind. Both brown haired men turned to look at Sally. "Apparently both Pargan and Relena had tried to page him, but it never got through. You should have seen him curse his pager for not working and toss it out the window. That thing got some distance." Duo whooped out a laugh and Heero chuckled lightly to himself. "Well, if you two will excuse me, I must go bring a new life into this world."

Both pilots bid the doctor good-bye and good luck before Duo asked to use the phone in Heero's office to call Hilde. Heero let his friend do as he pleased and sat at his desk. When his eyes found the picture that had come up on his computer screen he stopped cold, a chill running down his spine. It was an old photo from a newspaper that showed the ruins of a mobile suit production facility and the picture of the apparent saboteurs. What he saw was the blurred security photo of himself at age ten. But below that was a clear picture of a boy with all too familiar amber eyes who had simply been identified as "Lowe."

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"Hurry up and run! They've spotted us!" a heavily accented voice shouted at him. Heero felt himself being pushed ahead. He looked back to see his accomplice pull a pistol and another small black object from his vest. The older boy tossed the black object and a moment later there was an explosion. He ignored it as best he could and maneuvered his small body through the wreckage. Something tripped him and he fell hard, hearing gunshots from somewhere above and behind him. Another explosion. Something flew on top of him, shielding him from debris.

"You okay?" a familiar voice asked. He nodded. "Good, now keep running."

Another explosion. Gunshots. Screams. All was chaos. Chaos he had helped cause.

"So," Duo said, bringing Heero out of his trance. "Lunch?"

Heero numbly shook his head; his attention focused on his computer. "Sorry, lost my appetite."

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Heero hated hospitals. It was an odd hate considering how often he was hurt, but that was why he always preferred to treat his own wounds. The less time he spent around doctors and needles the better. The fact that he was walking through the halls of Preventer's General Medical Facility completely uninjured and of his own free will was also disturbing. Well, he wasn't there entirely on his own; Relena walked next to him with a small vase of flowers, a stuffed dog, and a huge smile. If it weren't for her gentle insistence, he wouldn't be there at all, but she had wanted him to come with her when she met her new niece.

Personally, he was feeling a bit nervous and awkward. He and Zechs had only recently come to some sort of peace agreement, if only for the sake of Relena and work. Heero did consider Noin a friend, though the term was used loosely. However, as far as Heero was concerned he could deal with the shaky non-relationships that were awaiting his arrival. What bothered him the most was that, for the first time in his memory, he was going to be in close, direct contact with a baby. Was there a specific way he was supposed to act? How quiet did he need to be? What if something went wrong and an emergency came up? What would he do then? What if they wanted him to hold it? He let out a heavy internal sigh.

_Dealing with such things must have been in my training somewhere,_ he thought, _Hn, if they did cover it I must have missed that day._

Relena's sudden stop jerked him out of his thoughts and he watched as she expectantly looked at him. It took him a moment to realize her hands were full and she couldn't open the door. Swallowing, Heero gently knocked on the door before reaching to turn the handle. He took an involuntary step back when the door was thrown open and an expectant Duo stood in front of them.

"Well, look what we've got here. I expected the princess, but Yuy is a nice surprise."

"Duo, stop your mouth for one second and let them come in," Hilde sighed from behind him.

Deciding to be obedient for once, Duo stepped aside and allowed the two newcomers to enter. Relena went straight for Noin and the small pink bundle she was holding while Heero hesitated, keeping a safe distance. He managed to keep a small smile to himself as he watched Relena fawn over her new niece. Beside him, Duo was watching Hilde with a much more visible grin.

"Good timing. We got here just a few minutes before you did, right when Zechs was heading out."

Heero simply nodded and kept watching the women across the small room.

"She's beautiful, Noin. What's her name? You never did tell me what you and Milliardo had agreed on." Relena asked.

"Alexa Rosalie Peacecraft," came a deep and rather proud voice.

Heero glanced over at the door and watched as Zechs walked in, apparently oblivious to the presence of his former adversary. The new father sat on the edge of the bed and reached out to gently stroke his daughter's soft head. He and Noin exchanged a look that spoke volumes and Heero swore that he could breathe the contentment and happiness that emanated from the two.

Looking at the young family and then glancing at where Duo stood with his arm around Hilde, Heero suddenly felt very uncomfortable and out of place. This was a family moment, and he belonged to neither the Peacecrafts nor the soon to be married Maxwells. The familiar aching began to creep into his chest, but it was soon replaced with anxiety when Relena motioned for him to come over. He did so stoically, hiding his unease with his expressionless mask. He stopped next to Relena and took a closer look at the new person.

"She looks pretty healthy," he heard himself say. It was as close to a sincere congratulations as he could get at the moment and it was taken in stride. Zechs even smiled a bit before nodding and turning his attention back to his wife and daughter.

A moment of silence descended on the group, broken only when Noin shifted and said, "My arm's asleep. Relena, would you like to hold her while I get some feeling back?"

Alexa's new aunt jumped at the chance and eagerly held out her arms as the baby was carefully transferred. Heero took a sly step back, once again putting some distance between him and the others. After a few moments, the baby was transferred to Hilde, and then to an awkward but enthusiastic Duo. With each transfer, Heero edged a little bit further away from the group. Duo had been observing his distance and gave a sly wink to both Hilde and Relena. Without hesitation he closed the gap between himself and his friend and stood right in front of Heero.

"Here Heero, give it a try. It's real easy, just make sure to support her head."

Heero had little time to protest as Duo handed him the baby. Unsure of what to do he remained rigid. Sensing his discomfort, Alexa began to whimper softly. On instinct, Heero adjusted her in the crook of his arm and held her closer to his body, but his muscles refused to relax. With all the power of her tiny lungs, the youngest Peacecraft let out a cry, sending Heero into the unfamiliar realm of distress. In that moment he felt helpless, but he refused to look to the others for help. He could do this. He was the Perfect Soldier. He could find a way to fix this. All he had to do was follow his emotions.

A soft, melodious hum filled the silent room and it took him a moment to realize that he was the source of it. The melody seemed to sooth the child somewhat so he continued and felt his own tension begin to slip away.

__

Close your eyes, hear the night bird sing

Rest your mind, let it drift to dreams

Calm your heart, release your soul

And listen to the music

From somewhere far away

In my heart I'll hold you close

My love is yours, and yours is mine

Together we'll dream of warmth and light

And listen to the music

From somewhere far away

Whether the distance be great or small

I'm with you, and you're with me

Our dreams will glitter like gold

And we'll always hear music

From somewhere far away

Alexa was quiet now, her eyes having closed in peaceful slumber. Heero shook his head, slowly coming back from his trance. When he looked up he was greeted with surprised and bewildered faces. Ignoring the expressions, Heero walked over and carefully gave Alexa to her father, feeling a bit confused as well. What had he just done, and what had possessed him to do it?

"I didn't know you could sing," Relena finally said. "That song was beautiful, but I've never heard it before…"

Heero's vision blurred for a second as images flashed through his mind.

_The sound of a soft voice singing. Tender hands stroking his hair. A delicate face with a gentle smile. The soothing scent of vanilla and lavender._

"Heero?"

Relena's voice brought him back to reality, though the others seemed to have been oblivious to his momentary trance.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"I asked where you had learned that lullaby."

"I…" Heero felt his throat close a little and took a moment to clear it. "I'm not sure."

In his mind a soft voice whispered, _From somewhere far away._

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Restlessness was something that Heero was not accustomed to. Neither was agitation. All his life he had been taught to be calm and collected, to think things through logically. Yet, there he was, pacing the floor in the wee hours of the night, the only light coming from his single desk lamp and his open laptop. The herbal drug and soothing tea that Sally has prescribed him was of no use as his mind refused to rest. Thoughts and questions raced through his mind at a dizzying pace, each thought refusing to stay for more than a split second before running off again, leaving him grasping at nothing. To say he was frustrated was putting it mildly.

Taking a calming breath, he walked back over and looked at the picture on his laptop. It was the same picture of the young boy he had found the other day, the one who had simply been identified as "Lowe."

_Lowe. That's not his name. It's something else, I'm sure of it. But how do I know? And why is he so damn familiar?_ He glanced to the side at the picture of Dieter Rheinhalt that was lying on his desk. _And what about you? Why is it that I remember you, and yet I have no idea who you are or how I know you?_

He closed his eyes and turned away from the pictures. He tried to calm his mind, but as it had done since that morning, lyrics of a strangely comforting lullaby ran through his mind. _Where did I hear that song? Why can't I remember any of this?_

Slamming his fist down on his desk, Heero scoured his mind for answers, but once again came up empty. Out of the corner of his eye he spied the large envelope that the nurse had given him after Rheinhalt's death. Desperate for answers, Heero finally removed its contents, hoping that within the stack of papers he would be able to find an answer.

The first thing he removed was a sketchpad. Heero idly flipped through it, taking in the beauty and talent of some of the drawings. The first half of the sketchbook consisted mostly of landscapes and animals, particularly birds, but the last half of the drawings were abstract, and Heero couldn't quite figure out what they were. Is looked as if the pictures recorded Rheinhalt's decline in mental stability as they became erratic; some of the pictures were in color while others were scratched out in pen or pencil. The pictures contained only geometric shapes connected with random lines. Sometimes there were letters and symbols and the occasional word, but for the most part it was undecipherable.

Putting the sketched aside, Heero then picked up a stack of crinkled pages that had seen better days. From what he could tell, the writing was in German, though at times he caught a phrase or two that was in Latin or some other language. There were even a few haiku poems written in Japanese kanji. The handwriting was beautiful, fluid, and flawless. It made Heero wish that he could understand the words.

Absently he thought that he should run the poems and other writings through a translation program, if only to find out what Dieter Rheinhalt had been talking about. But then something caught his eye. It was a single piece of paper towards the end of the stack that contained a picture as well as writing. Setting the other papers aside, Heero examined the page closely, noting three things: One, the piece was the only one that contained a date, _March 13, AC 191_. Two, there was a sketch of a young boy's face with particular attention paid to the eyes, and three, below another poem written in German were to lines written in Standard.

Upon closer inspection, Heero noted that the boy looked all too familiar. In fact he saw what was left of him every time he looked into a mirror. His hand began to tremble and he took a deep breath before he read the script at the bottom of the page.

__

"In the eyes of the young, we find hope. The smallest hero shall also be the greatest."

"The smallest hero," he whispered.

Images flashed across his mind, images of five young faces that were smiling, that gave him comfort; that called him a little hero.

Dawn found Heero Yuy asleep at his desk with a firm grip on a picture of a boy that someone believed to be their greatest hero.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Hope you liked it. Let me know.


	5. A Mission and a Message

Disclaimer: Must I say it?

A/N: Okay, this is a somewhat short chapter and is really a segue into the more serious rough-and-tumble aspect of this story. The beginning is a bit random, but randomness is a part of life. Thanks to all of those who have reviewed. Things are going to get very interesting very soon.

__

Dearthair means brother

Ch. 4 A Mission and a Message

"Gentlemen," Duo said his eyes serious and his tone lacking any and all lightheartedness. "What we have here is a dire emergency. One that could possibly destroy us all." He paused briefly to look at the serious expressions of his companions. "Now, time is of the essence. We must, and I mean _must_ rectify this situation before this entire organization falls apart."

"Then let's hurry," Wufei said. "Yuy, do you have the tools we need?"

Heero simply nodded and reachedfor a small tool kit, removing a small screwdriver. With practiced hands he picked up the device they were all focused on and searched for the main panel that would lead to the inner workings of their current foe. Slowly he began to unscrew the first bolt, his grip slipping just enough to cause a scare.

"Careful!" Duo warned, worry clouding his amethyst eyes.

"What in the world are you three doing?" Sally asked as she stepped in and spotted the three top Preventers huddled over the coffee machine.

"Be quiet woman!" Wufei hissed. "This is a very delicate operation."

"Why don't you three just break down and admit that the thing's broken?"

"Never shall we admit defeat!" Duo crowed.

"Damnit!" Heero hissed as hot water spewed from the tube he had been fiddling with and scalded his hand.

"Man down!"

"Duo, Wufei, Heero, face it, the thing's dead. For the love of us all, let it rest in peace," Sally sighed.

"I need this thing, woman," Wufei growled, taking the machine from Heero.

Sally simply shook her head and grinned. She knew that her partner went through coffee like water, and a small part of her wondered what he would do without it. Finding the scene far more entertaining than the stack of paperwork she had on her desk, Sally sat back and watched as three of the deadliest men in the universe were brought down by something so simple as a caffeine addiction.

After a few more minutes of tweaking and swearing, Wufei set the machine down with a frustrated sigh. Unwilling to give up, Duo fiddled with the coffee maker a few minutes more before placing it on the counter with a look of resignation.

"Are they at it again?" a soft, pleasant voice asked from the door. Sally looked up to see Quatre Winner enter the break room with a small grin on his face. "Who won the argument today?"

"Mr. Coffee," was Sally's humored reply.

"Face it gentlemen, we've lost," Duo mumbled as he reached for a napkin and his pen to scribble an "Out of Order" sign, but hesitated in posting it when he saw a rather bleary eyed Milliardo Peacecraft come trudging through the door. The less groggy occupants of the room shared a wicked grin.

"You look like hell," Wufei commented.

"Thanks for the compliment, Chang," came the irritated reply.

"Is that the best you can come up with?"

"You stay up with a screaming baby all night and see how you fare. I'll be fine once I get some caffeine."

Duo's grin only grew wider. "Hey Zechs, what was it you said was the meaning of life yesterday?"

"Coffee."

"And in that respect, what would be death?"

"No coffee." Zech's eyes grew wide and panicked as he looked up at the others. "Why, what are you saying?"

Duo casually reached over and placed his makeshift sign on the coffee maker. "Sorry buddy."

In a flash the former Lighting Baron was at the machine and began to tinker with it desperately.

Quatre barely managed to suppress his laughter as he watched the rather comical scene. "You know, a tea kettle never malfunctions. Perhaps you should consider switching?"

"Never!" came the group reply.

Quatre continued to smirk as he took a seat and loosened his tie. After a few more minutes there was a triumphant whoop as the cursed machine began to percolate the rich liquid of life. After another brief argument over who got the first cup, the ex-pilots sat around the room and took a moment to relax.

"So Quatre, what brings you here?" Duo asked as he took a hearty sip.

"As you know, I'm here for the UESA Economics conference that's tomorrow. However, I came by early to drop something off and to say hi." Quatre spared a quick glance at Heero before looking back at the others.

"And where might the stoic Trowa be?" Duo said with a suggestive grin.

Quatre managed to suppress a blush before he answered. "Lady Une wanted him to check in once he got here. I think she's still a little miffed that he chose to be my issued bodyguard rather than taking a team commanding position."

"Can't say as I blame him. Probably a lot less paperwork," Sally commented.

"And a few extra perks," Duo grinned and then quickly stood as he got a few sharp glares. "Well, better get back to work. I'll catch ya later, Quat. Maybe we can all grab some dinner after the conference tomorrow."

"I'd like that." Quatre watched as everyone stood and made their way out of the lounge and towards their respective offices.

Heero caught Quatre's gaze, nodding his head just enough for the blond to see. Without another word, Quatre followed his comrade down to his office. They remained silent until the door to Heero's personal workspace was securely shut. Another moment of silence passed where Heero simply looked at Quatre with a blank look, but behind the Prussian eyes he could sense the anxiety the Japanese man was feeling. Setting down his briefcase, Quatre opened it and withdrew a thin file.

"I'm afraid that I couldn't find much, Heero. I searched everywhere, but even the Winner Enterprises database has its limits."

Heero simply nodded and looked through the file, finding that it contained little new information. On a sigh he set the file down and rubbed his hands over his face. Quatre could sense his frustration and tried to think of a way to ease it.

"There's one more piece of information that I came across just before I left. I had sent the picture of the two boys to my sisters hoping that they could find something. Apparently a laborer on one of the satellites thought he recognized the brown-eyed one. Said his name was Kal or Nale or something like that."

Heero's eyes snapped open as he looked at the picture he had sitting next to his computer. Somewhere in the back of his memory he heard his childlike voice calling to someone. "Cale. His name's...Cale."

Concern overtook the young Arab's face and he went to move closer to Heero, but hesitated when he got the feeling that his friend desired some distance.

"Heero, if I may ask, who are these men?"

"Shadows," Heero mumbled. "Forgotten shadows."

"Heero?"

A long silence stretched between the two. No one knows how long they would have stayed like that if Heero's message alert hadn't beeped. Shaking his head, Heero turned to his computer, his mind focused on work.

"What's that?" Quatre asked, happy that the subject had changed.

Heero's brow furrowed in confusion and irritation as he read the subject line of the e-mail. "More stuff about the security set-up for tomorrow's conference. I thought this had all been cleared. This better be important, or someone?"

Quatre looked up when Heero stopped mid-sentence and walked around the desk so that he could read the message. "What the??"

__

Dearthair,

Of angels and demons, beware the innocent face. The shadows are not the enemy. Be wary of those who are not concealed.

"You think it's a warning?" Quatre asked.

"My instincts are screaming at me that it is. But look," he said as he pointed to the email and then to a scan at the bottom right corner of the screen. "There's no sender in the message itself, and I can't seem to trace it. Whoever did this knew exactly how to cover his tracks. Which makes me wonder?"

"Are you going to listen to it?" the smaller man asked.

"Like I said, Quatre," Heero said, " My instincts are telling me yes. And I think this time, I'll listen."

A/N: Hey all, hope you enjoyed that. If you did, please click the little review button and make me feel all warm and fuzzy. Or at the very least let me know that people are reading this. Loves and hugs!


	6. Shadow

A/N: Wow, sorry for taking so long to update. I could blame all the usual things for the immense delay, like school, work, family, the government, or being abducted by aliens, but the truth is I just suck. Well, hope you enjoy, and I'll update sooner next time (looks back at angry readers who are pointing guns at her head, hoping the answer will appease them.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Seriously, all my money went towards a university-sized hole. All I have to show is a pile of books for class, which I would gladly give away for free.

Ch 5 Shadow

0-0-0-0-0-0-0

_The shadows are not the enemy,_ Heero repeated to himself for the thousandth time_. In theory that means the light is the enemy, right?_ Looking around at the brightly-lit room only succeeded in speeding up his heart rate. If the enemy was in the light, then his list if potential threats just multiplied by a thousand. With growing suspicion he glared at the occupants of the room in a futile attempt to memorize faces. The effort was making him dizzy. Clenching a fist, he took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. For the first time in a long time he was anxious and jumpy.

Heero repeated to himself for the thousandth time. Looking around at the brightly-lit room only succeeded in speeding up his heart rate. If the enemy was in the light, then his list if potential threats just multiplied by a thousand. With growing suspicion he glared at the occupants of the room in a futile attempt to memorize faces. The effort was making him dizzy. Clenching a fist, he took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. For the first time in a long time he was anxious and jumpy. 

_How could that little anonymous message put me on edge like this? I should know better than to let something like that get to me._ But in the back of his mind he couldn't help but take heed of the warning. Some long forgotten feeling told him to trust the sender.

"Heero?"

Heero jerked his attention away from the crowd and his thoughts to focus on the woman beside him. Concern flickered in Relena's eyes for a moment, but her question was left unspoken as the diplomat they were walking with called her attention to something in the auditorium. Taking a selfish moment, Heero took a long appreciative look at her, drinking in the sight of her in a sharp gray power suit, her blond hair tied back in a neat ponytail with her bangs falling just above her eyes. A smile tugged at his lips as he took in the expression of feigned interest she was giving the old man.

"Oof!" he grunted as he was suddenly halted in his tracks. The impact caused him to stumble back a few steps, and a strong hand gripped his shoulder from behind, steadying him.

"Be more watchful, lad," a deep voice said. "Your enemies sit with the angels. Keep her to your left, but watch to the right. Look straight on at noon."

Heero froze, stunned. The voice, it was tinged with a familiar accent he couldn't quite place. And his words were similar to the warning he had received earlier. Could this be the sender? Turning sharply on his heel, he intended to confront the man and take him aside for questioning, but there was no one there. He hadn't seen the man's face, so spotting him in the milling crowd would be impossible. Had he imagined all that?

"Heero, are you all right?" Relena asked, checking him over with a glance.

"Hn," he automatically answered, his thoughts straying towards the crowd. _What did he mean? What's his game?_

"Agent Yuy." Wufei's familiar voice crackled through his earpiece.

"Go ahead, Chang."

"All clear on the upper levels and the outside perimeter. Safety checks have been completed."

"Good. Wufei?" Heero started, faltering for the briefest of moments, "did you by any chance see the man who just ran into me?"

"No, why?"

Heero scowled before schooling his face back into a neutral expression. "Never mind. Yuy out."

Taking one last sweeping glance at the room, he tried to calm his racing mind. All the security checks were complete, and Heero could trust Wufei to be thorough and concise. Escorting Relena up the stage steps, he led her to her appointed seat and then took his place behind her and off to the right.

_Keep her to your left, but watch to the right._ Remembering the words form moments before, he shifted his position, making sure Relena was just a few feet to the left and in front of him. Unable to resist the urge he began a meticulous scan of the areas to his right. Why he was paying heed to a stranger's advice he didn't know, but something in the back of his mind told him to do it, and right then he was more than willing to listen.

There was something about the room that made the time lag on and on. Heero had lost track of how long the Minister of Economic Affairs had been droning on. In truth, he hadn't caught a word of what the man had said, and he was pretty sure he didn't care. Instead, his mind rolled the stranger's words around and around as he tried to decipher their meaning.

_Your enemies sit with the angels. What does that mean? Where could that be?_ Heero looked at the audience hoping that someone hadn't gotten mixed in with the larger group. If they pulled something drastic in the middle of the crowd it would be nearly impossible to get to them.

Look straight on at noon. _Was that the direction the attack would come from?_ Heero had never liked riddles, and today he liked them even less.

Heero had never liked riddles, and today he liked them even less. 

A spattering of applause brought him back to the matter at hand as Relena was introduced. As she stood to take her place at the podium, he kept close by, always keeping her on his left. Once again he scanned the crowd, looking for anything that was out of the ordinary. All he saw was a sea of nameless faces. Looking a little higher he caught sight of the large ornamental wall clock at the back of the room. It was almost noon.

_Look straight on at noon,_ the voice repeated. _Your enemies sit with angels. _

It was then that Heero Yuy's heart skipped. Just above the clock was a painting of two cherubs, and just above that was a balcony reserved for two VIP guests at the conference. Two VIPs who were currently missing. The light glinted off of something just as the clock struck noon.

"Get down!" he shouted, grabbing Relena as the sharp crack of a gun split the air. They hit the ground with a dull thud and Heero quickly hauled his charge behind the podium. "Wufei, balcony five, now!"

"On our way."

Heero took a brief moment to check Relena over before scanning his surroundings. His eyes caught where the bullet had struck. He frowned as he realized that it had hit right where he had been standing. Another gunshot wrenched his attention back out to the panicked mob that was attempting to either leave or take cover. Two more shots rang out, but he couldn't determine where they were coming from.

"Agent Chang, report."

"We've sealed off the entire second floor, but we haven't seen anybody."

"Then who the hell are you shooting at?"

"What?"

Heero didn't have time to answer as two men emerged from the crowd and jumped up on the stage, each brandishing a gun. Placing himself between them and Relena he pulled out his own gun and fired, each shot hitting its mark. Another shot split the air and Heero felt the bullet whiz by his head in Relena's direction. He heard a scream and turned, fearful that he would find her dead. Instead he caught the sight of another assailant falling to the ground just behind her. Looking in the direction of the shot he expected to see a Preventer agent, but all he caught was a retreating shadow.

"Wufei, second story, east wing."

"I'm on it."

"Relena, we need to move fast. Follow my lead and keep your head down."

Relena nodded, biting her lip as she took his offered hand.

"Keep her left! Go now!" a voice above him shouted.

Heero hesitated only a moment and tugged her along on their mad dash to a side door. It was barely a second later when the building was rocked by an explosion. Bits of debris peppered his back as he once again used his body to shield his charge. Looking back he saw the place that they had just vacated was nothing but a smoking hole. Another explosion on the vacant stage sent him to the ground, knocking him into a daze. His vision swam as he searched for Relena. She was a few yards off to his side, dazed like him, but seemingly unharmed. His blurred vision caught sight of a figure moving towards them. He struggled to his feet, but fear gripped him when he realized he didn't have time to get to Relena.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Wufei huffed as he bolted around another corner, the sound of another explosion urging him even faster. On his initial search of the second floor balconies he had found nothing but a few scattered and frightened VIPs trying to find a way out, but on his way to check the third floor he'd spotted two bodies lying near the stairwell. One had been shot dead, but the other was alive, though the condition he would be in when he woke up didn't look good. Both were armed and wearing imitations of the Preventers' uniforms with kevlar underneath, indicating that these were most likely the suspects. He didn't have time to ponder who had rendered them useless when he'd heard another gunshot and spotted a retreating figure. He'd been chasing said figure for the past few minutes.

Skidding to a halt he finally caught sight of his target.

"Halt! Stay where you are!" he shouted, raising his gun and training it on the tall figure.

"No time!" the target shouted.

"Put your weapon down!" Wufei commanded.

"Damnit all, look!" the man said, indicating the scene below him.

Wufei glance down and caught sight of a dazed Heero Yuy attempting to get between another assailant and the Vice Foreign Minister. Realizing that Heero wouldn't make it in time, the Chinese man tore his attention away from his target and fired twice at the gunman below him. The man grunted and fell, a crimson pool flowing from the two new holes in his head.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, we're almost out of time."

Wufei turned his attention back to his suspect's now retreating form. With a grunt of frustration he took off after him yet again. _Christ, this guy's fast!_ he thought as he found he was falling further behind.

He once again came to a screeching halt, but this time he managed to back up a few steps as well when he caught sight of what his assailant was holding. The bomb was compact and sleek in design, enabling it to be hidden almost anywhere. Wufei had seen such explosives before and he knew first-hand what they could do.

"Get back now!" his target shouted and Wufei didn't hesitate to follow orders. So far this man's actions had been unpredictable and he was hesitant to charge in and wrestle the explosive away from the man. Before Wufei could think of his next move the suspect hurled the bomb out the window. A heartbeat later he heard it explode and took cover. He looked up in time to see that the force of the blast had knocked the man back hard enough to make him trip over the railing, causing him to tumble to the ground below. Picking himself up, Wufei raced to the nearest stairwell and headed down.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Heero wasn't sure what had happened. One moment he was racing to save Relena and the next the assassin was dead on the ground. He'd looked up after the shots and seen Wufei, but he had also spotted another figure. Both Wufei and the other man had taken off at a run as he stumbled over to Relena to make sure she was okay. After another minute or so he'd heard another explosion across from where he and Relena sat, and had seen a body tumble over the railing and hit the floor. Time stood still as the smoke cleared and the shouts of frightened onlookers were slowly replaced by the sounds of Preventers and other law enforcement officers entering the room.

"Heero?" he heard Relena ask.

"I think it's over," he murmured. "Come on, we need to get you to the paramedics and have you checked out."

She nodded and stood on unsteady legs. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted Wufei, Duo, and two other Preventers gathering around the spot where he had seen the body land. The sudden feeling that he needed to check the scene out right away made him divert his path towards the group. As he approached he could see a young man sitting on the ground in tattered and bloody clothing cradling his head.

"Well, where should we start?" he heard Wufei ask when he finally reached the group. "You're under arrest for the attempted murder of the Vice Foreign Minister, the illegal possession of a firearm and several explosives, the discharge and detonation of said weapons in a populated and secure area, resisting arrest, assault, trespassing, and I'm sure that there's a few more charges we'll find as time goes on. Anything to say?"

"Ow."

"Ow?" Wufei repeated, a little bewildered at the simple comment.

"Yes ow," the man growled. "You fall from a second story balcony right onto your arse and see how you feel."

Duo chuckled, earning a glare from Wufei as Heero stepped closer. He had recognized the voice the moment the man had spoken, and he took this as his opportunity to get a few questions answered. He took a moment to examine the captive's features. Even with dust, blood, a tattered ball cap, and sunglasses obscuring his face, there was something very familiar about him.

"You were the one I talked to earlier today, weren't you?" he asked.

"Aye."

"You sent me the warning a few days ago, didn't you?" The man only nodded. "You knew about all this, didn't you?" Another nod, this one tinged with shame. Heero had to take a moment to check himself, reigning in his growing anxiety. "Who are you?"

This time the man grinned and pushed his ball cap back a little. "I am nothing more than a walking shadow, seeking that which I have lost."

"I am the light that leads the shadow," Heero automatically replied. "I am that which you seek." Heero's heart raced as he whispered words long forgotten.

"Glad to see you're well, little brother," the man said, pulling down his sunglasses just enough to reveal two hauntingly familiar amber eyes.

)TBC


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Um…Long time no see (ducks behind concrete wall as large blunt objects are hurled at her). Sorry for the immense delay, but my muse packed up and left town without notifying me or leaving a forwarding address. That and I just suck.

Disclaimer: If you ever want to hear God laugh, tell him you haveplans.

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Ch. 6 Dead Man Walking

Heero's head hurt. A lot. He was known for his seemingly inhuman tolerance for pain, but for reasons he wasn't quite able to grasp, the searing pain pulsing through his skull was all he could focus on. It had been two hours since the attack had ended and he had come into contact with the man with amber eyes who called him brother. Just a few moments after meeting the man he had been struck nearly blind with the pain that was currently assaulting him. It had ebbed at times, allowing him to catch his breath, but the moment he thought of those eyes, images would assault him from all sides and he would once again succumb to an aching head.

After the initial shock from the first attack began to fade, he had managed to function well enough to issue a few orders and escort Relena to a waiting ambulance. He had clenched his jaw to the point where his teeth nearly shattered in an effort to hide his immense discomfort on the ride to the hospital and through most of his examination (given at Relena's insistence). But now, in the empty examination room, Heero Yuy sat slumped over, cradling his head in his hands. He was frustrated to say the least, which was only adding to his discomfort. As the pain once again began to ebb, he looked up, taking a few deep breaths and looking into a small mirror that hung on the adjacent wall. For a moment he was relieved that he had been left alone. His face was a few shades paler than normal and he looked shaken. Or at least as shaken as the Perfect Soldier ever allowed himself to get. The truth of the matter was, he was feeling pretty…unsettled.

_All right, let's run through things,_ he thought in an effort to find some reason in the chaos that had dominated his life the past few hours. _I know him, of that I'm sure. He's my…brother. No, that's not right, I don't have any family. Then why is that the only way I can describe him?_ Heero felt the pain start to creep back, so he paused a moment to steady himself. _He's not my brother; not by blood anyway. The term is more of an…endearment. He…_

Heero paused as a few images flashed across his mind. He was varying ages, but always there was a familiar and a safe—_safe?_—feeling that was associated with the young man.

No, not 'the young man.' His name is Cale. Cale…Lowe. Oh my God.

Just as he was about to grasp that elusive connection, the pain flared back to life, causing him to once again slump in his seat and cradle his head. He felt like he was so close to an answer, but he wasn't even entirely sure what the question was. How long he stayed in that position grasping at straws he wasn't sure, but somewhere in the back of his mind he registered the sound of the door opening and closing. He nearly jumped when a cool, damp cloth was gently placed on the back of his neck. Slowly he looked up and met with a very concerned pair of blue eyes.

"How are you feeling?" Relena asked, hesitating only briefly before brushing her fingers against his temple. His only answer was a grunt.

A few more moments of silence passed and the pain subsided little by little. Heero was silently grateful for both the cool cloth and Relena's calming presence. After a while he began to feel better, his mind becoming a little less clouded. Sitting up straight in his chair, he took a deep breath and looked back at the Vice Foreign Minister.

"How did the press conference go?" he asked.

"As well as could be expected. I gave more reassurances than answers, though."

There was the slightest bit of hesitation at the end of her sentence that Heero immediately picked up on. Quietly examining her expression, he could see the questions that she almost seemed afraid to ask. Steeling himself against anymore pain that may come rushing back, he decided that he should…no _needed_… to at least try to answer.

"I know him," he started without preamble, catching her a little off guard. "His name is Cale. He…he's…" Heero found himself struggling to explain. He barely knew what was going on himself. "He was around when I was younger. We worked together…I think. Odin…" he paused again, then stood and took a few small steps across the room. "I have pictures of us when we were younger. Security photos. I don't really remember, but he was there." Heero let out an uncharacteristic grunt of frustration and clenched his fists.

"Heero," Relena said softly, "It's okay, you don't need to answer everything right now. Just--" A loud crash and a yell echoed down the hallway and Heero immediately went on guard. A few seconds later a quick knock sounded at the door before Duo opened it, looking a bit strained.

"Hey Heero, sorry to interrupt, but our, um…captive, is making a bit of a fuss." Another crash was heard, this time followed by a string of curses that sounded unmistakably like Wufei. "He's got a few injuries that Sally wants to treat," another crash, "but he won't let her near him." Duo paused for a moment, looking a bit unsure of how he wanted to proceed. "He, um, wants to see you first, I think. It's kind of hard to tell, he keeps switching between Standard and, well, whatever the heck he's speaking."

"Gaelic," Heero suddenly answered, catching both Relena and Duo by surprise. "He does that when he's upset or nervous. He hates needles…"

Heero's eyes widened as he made a connection, then hurried out of his exam room and down the hall, leaving two very confused people in his wake.

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Sally was, to say the least, exasperated and even a little afraid. She glanced to her left towards her sometimes partner, who was looking exceedingly irritated. Shifting her gaze back to the matter at hand, she felt a slight pang of amusement at the sight of her patient crouched atop the supply counter armed with a jar of Q-tips. If it weren't for the fact that he looked like a rabid tiger ready to pounce, and the destruction he had already caused, she would have laughed.

Taking a cautious step forward, she waited to see his reaction. He tensed and muttered something she didn't quite understand. She glanced back at Wufei and caught sight of the portable x-ray, a rather heavy piece of machinery that now lay in pieces after being flung at the wall with seemingly little effort by her patient. She went to move again, but halted as the young man uttered another foreign phrase, however, she didn't need to understand the language to recognize that his words were a warning. For a moment she wished she could read his expression better, but he had yet to remove his sunglasses, thus hiding his eyes and making his moves difficult to determine.

A tense moment passed where none of the occupants dared to move. When the door to the room was unceremoniously thrust open and banged against the wall, Sally jumped and let out a little yelp of surprise. She turned to see Heero enter with a look of absolute fury etched on his face. Striding across the room, the ex-pilot stopped just a few feet from the patient. Time stood still once again as the two squared off, and to Sally's surprise, the unruly patient slowly put down the jar and adjusted his position so he was no longer crouching, but sitting tensely on the counter, eye to eye with Heero.

"You," Heero finally spat, the word slicing through the air with a severity that made Sally wince. "You're dead."

The statement sounded half like a question and half like an accusation. Sally was surprised for the umpteenth time that day when she heard a deep chuckle escape the patient's throat.

"Really? No one told me. I feel pretty good for a dead man," he said, then a small smile tugged at his lips. "How are you feeling?"

Heero tensed and for a moment the doctor feared that he was going to attack the other man. To her relief, both remained relatively still, though Heero's demeanor was enough to raise several red flags in her mind and she prepared to call in back up if necessary.

"You're dead," Heero repeated. "I…I saw you die. I saw it…I think…" The normally stoic pilot began to falter and paused for a brief moment before regaining his composure. "Who are you?"

Sally's heart skipped as the man, who had previously been a threat akin to a wild beast, completely relaxed and slumped just slightly in what appeared to be defeat and a saddened expression settled on his face.

"What did they do to you?"

The question was quiet and full of what Sally could only describe as grief and…regret? Her day was getting stranger by the moment.

"Who are you?" Heero asked again, this time with less vehemence.

"An…old friend."

"That's not good enough."

"It's all that I can offer right now," the other man replied, stealing a glance at Sally, Wufei, and a very perplexed Duo and Relena, who stood stock still in the doorway.

Heero looked up, seeming to notice the others for the first time. Silence once again settled as no one could figure out what to say. The stranger shifted and winced just slightly at the movement, which brought Sally's attention back to her original duties. He had injuries that needed to be tended to.

"Um, Heero, he's got a few injuries I'd like to look at," she started, mentally berating herself for sounding so stupid, but to be honest, the good doctor was at a total loss. "He wanted to see you first, and now you're here, so could you maybe…" She trailed off again feeling like a total fool.

The stranger tensed again as she took a tentative step forward. Heero looked back at him and softened his expression just slightly. "She won't hurt you."

"You trust her?" Heero nodded. "All right."

With cautious and controlled movements, the patient slid off of the counter and moved to the exam table. Sally proceeded slowly towards him, as did Wufei. She stood for just a moment and looked him over, noticing how rapidly his demeanor had changed. Relaxing a little, she reached for a pair of sterile gloves.

"Okay, Mr., um…"

"Cale," the patient replied smoothly.

"Right, Mr. Cale."

"No titles. Just Cale."

"All right," she said, smiling a little. "That cut over your eye needs to be cleaned," she stated, taking on a more professional tone. "But I'll need you to take off your sunglasses."

"No."

Damn, just when I thought things were going well.

"You've caused enough trouble already, just take the things off," Wufei stated, sounding more than a little irritated.

Cale shook his head and looked back at Heero and Sally. "Not right now."

"Christ, just take them off," Wufei growled and reached for the glasses.

In a flash he found himself pinned against the opposite wall, his feet dangling a few inches off the ground and clawing at the hand that gripped his neck.

"Cale, put him down!" Heero commanded.

Wufei waited for what seemed an eternity before the grip on his neck was released and he slid to the ground. Coughing, he struggled to stand with the help of Sally and a nearby chair.

"I think it would be best if everyone except me and Sally left," Heero said.

"If you think I'm leaving her alone with this--"

"Chang, that is not a request," Heero barked. "You may stand guard outside the door, but you are not to enter unless I call you."

Wufei was not entirely sure how to respond to Heero's command. They were equals as far as rank went and not once had one so strictly dictated the actions of the other. Anger swelled and he began to protest, but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.

"Wufei," Sally said, "I'll be all right. I think it's best to listen to Heero right now."

Frustrated and a little bewildered, Wufei nodded sharply before turning and ushering Relena and Duo away from the door before closing it. Sally let out a pent-up breath and turned back to her patient, who had gone back to the exam table.

"I'm sorry," he muttered, catching her off-guard. "He startled me."

"That's okay, he'll get over it." She smiled and he seemed to relax. "About the glasses--"

"If you can dim the lights I'll take them off."

Glancing at Heero, she saw him give a small shrug and nod. Reaching over, she flipped one of the light switches, shutting off half the lights in the room. Cale nodded his thanks and removed his sunglasses.

"Bright lights hurt my eyes. It's a long story."

"That's fine, I've worked in the dark before."

The corners of his mouth turned up in a slight smile. Taking a deep breath, Sally cautiously reached up and touched the cut, getting a good look. He sat perfectly still, not even blinking as she prodded the wound.

"Well, it looks worse than it is. A butterfly bandage should do just fine," she said, breaking the silence.

He remained silent, watching her every move, a mix of curiosity and amusement in his unique amber eyes. When she had finished cleaning and dressing the cut she stood back and examined him. He was still covered with dirt and soot from the incident earlier that day and his long hair was coming loose from the tie at the nape of his neck. Thick stubble also shadowed his face, indicating that personal grooming had not been high on his list of things to do for the past few days. She could tell that every inch of his body was muscle, despite the fact that his build was no different than the average man. She couldn't help but think that if he cleaned up a little, he would be a rather attractive young man.

Sally was shaken from her thoughts when she notices him shift and wince once again. Returning to a more professional state of mind, she approached him once more.

"After that fall you took, I'm going to need to examine your neck and back to make sure you didn't break anything. For that I'll need you to remove your shirt."

"You first," he quipped, recoiling slightly.

"What?"

"Your shirt. I'll take off mine if you take off yours. It's only fair."

Sally wasn't sure if she should be offended or amused. "I won't be taking off my shirt."

"All right then," he grinned, "your pants."

"What?" she squeaked.

"Cale!" Heero reprimanded.

"Cale, please, I need to examine your back."

He recoiled once again, looking a little apprehensive. "I'm okay, really. My spine broke my fall."

Concern crept into Sally's mind. He was stalling, and was that apprehension she saw in his face? What was he trying to hide? Seeking help, she turned to Heero. The two men stared at one another for a moment, an intense, silent conversation passing between them. Finally, Cale relented and looked down, worrying at the hem of his shirt.

"Fine," he mumbled before pulling it over his head.

He had a few scars criss-crossing his torso, which was no surprise to her considering the battle scars she and the others carried from the war. His arms and hands also carried a few scars as well as the telltale identification tattoos that were the mark of prisoners from contract labor-camps. What unsettled her was his back. From shoulder blade to shoulder blade were three identical scars, each a half-inch wide. Upon closer inspection she could see that they had been made with surgical precision, the edges displaying the unique puckering that often accompanied burn scars. She swallowed, feeling sick at the cruelty that the scars implied. When she glanced at Heero, he looked surprised and a little shaken as well.

"A sharp, hot blade, so it cuts and cauterizes at the same time. More pain, less blood loss," Cale supplied, his voice sounding heavy and empty.

When he glanced back at her and she was caught up in the shame and pain that clouded his eyes. Next to her she saw Heero swallow, something akin to guilt taking over for a brief moment. Quietly, she finished her exam, determining that he had a few bruised ribs, but was okay for the most part.

"I need to take him to lock-up at headquarters," Heero said, his blank expression and monotone voice again settling into place. Cale simply nodded as he pulled his shirt back over his head, his somber and docile demeanor the complete opposite of what it had been an hour earlier. "I'll make sure you can rest before the questioning starts. You have," Heero paused, "a lot of explaining to do."

Sally simply stood and watched as the two walked out, numb and confused as she tried to comprehend all that had happened. Minutes passed before a single clear and rational thought crossed her mind: _Who is he, Heero?_

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A/N: This chapter didn't go quite the way I wanted it to and I'm not particularly thrilled with it. Let me know what you think


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